By Paul Fitzgerald – The Toronto Tribune
High school is supposed to be a memorable time where teens engage in an array of academic subject matters, indulge in a variety of extracurricular activities, all while meeting new friends.
However for Liora Solomon it was the complete opposite.
You see, she spent most of her years at the secondary level feeling depressed, and she felt isolated from the system and what it had to offer.
This brought on sleepless nights, anxiety, resulting of course in fatigue and significantly diminished her motivation.
“You could certainly say I was in a bad state of mind,” says Solomon, 19, who recently graduated from Newetonbrook Secondary School.
“I didn’t have direction; I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life and this was so draining on me,” she adds.
Solomon however knew she had to take action in order to better manage her anxiety and depression.
An artistic and articulate young woman, she knew that if she found her calling, then her life would be much more complete – meaningful on every level.
“Something told me that if I found meaning in my life, I would be a far better off person,” she explains.
Then she met Paul Price, a cooperative education teacher.
Price, known as a gifted mentor for young teens, understood her pain. “She struggled with depression and sleep issues,” says Price. “I have been working with her for two years and I became a sounding board for her.”
While Solomon admits she wasn’t all that interested in the courses the curriculum offered, she turned to the school’s co-op program as means to find a new path in life. Price heard about a popular tattoo shop at Yonge and Eglinton who were open to the idea of having a high school student work there in order to earn credits.
That tattoo shop is called Chronic Ink.
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This business is forward thinking and all the tattoo artists share one thing in common: art.
With an interest in art, Solomon says her experience working there was a real game changer.
“I took the chance and it has truly been a life changing experience in so many ways.”
She has been a co-op student there since last December and she is now working there permanently.
“I have found my calling, that’s for sure,” she says.
Price says he is thrilled that Solomon has discovered her new passion in life: tattoo art. Her success has been a true “educational moment” in his career, which he calls rare.
“Liora is a different person now and I am very proud to be a part of her success story,” says Price.
“She has colour, and a joyful set of eyes now. I do believe her depression and anxiety are much less than before,” he adds.
Ricky Fung, the founder and owner of the tattoo shop, indicates that he and Solomon share the same experiences.
“I remembered when I wasn’t happy. One of the worst feelings is to wake up and not know what you want to do with your life,” explains Fung. “But so many of us don’t understand that being happy requires work, just like anything else. I think in order for any of us to be truly happy, we all have to make meaningful contributions to something we believe in, and I am not just talking about making money.”
Solomon is certainly grateful from the support she has received.
“I will never forget the support from everyone – it means so much to me and it has helped shape who I am in such a positive way.”
Solomon admits that she will never be free from the demons that stem from anxiety and depression. However, she knows how to fight them.
“I have a reason to wake up tomorrow. It feels like I have a whole new life ahead of me. I want to be a tattoo artist, but most importantly I just want to be happy,” she says.
